We have just heard that a brand new Rolf Harris portfolio of works, simply called â€˜The Collection 2012â€™ will be released in the next few weeks and the trade (picture galleries who sell to the public) will be viewing these new pieces for the first time on Tuesday 7th February 2012.

an untitled image from the new collection
Limited Edition by Rolf Harris

I have heard there will be 13 limited edition print images & these which will appear as on paper & on canvas editions & some of these will also appear as ‘deluxe’ canvas, which are larger that the regular canvas.

We have heard there will be: a tiger image, an image of Uluru, aka ‘Ayers Rock,’ a beach scene & a London scene, likely Big Ben or Parliament, amongst others.

Rolf’s collection is eagerly anticipated every year and the excitement is building once again.

Gallery owners will get a chance to meet and speak with Rolf Harris on the 7th February and to hear about his latest inspirations. The buying public will be able to purchase/pre-order early to mid February.

We have just heard that English born singer-song writer and record producer, Damon Albarn, in collaboration with theatre director Rufus Norris, has written and is set to premier his brand new opera â€˜Doctor Deeâ€™, on the 1st of July 2011 at the Manchester International Festival. It is an exciting adaptation of the life of Dr. John Dee, the Elizabethan astrologer, courtier, alchemist and spy.

Albarn who is arguably most famous for front lining the world wide renowned bands Blur and Gorillaz, has written about 4 opera’s now, showcasing his incredible, natural talents as a musician, singer, writer and general all round, world class entertainer.

â€˜Dr Deeâ€™ was inspired by Damon Albarnâ€™s long years of interest in â€˜questions of Englishness and the occult and things that up to now I have felt a bit closeted about expressing publicly.â€™

Rufus Norris, who Damon is collaborating with on this project, is a theatre and opera director whose portfolio includes many West End and Broadway shows, such as: Cabaret, Don Giovanni, Festen, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Vernon God Little.

This should be an incredible performance, not only with amazing music but a fabulous cast too. Donâ€™t forget to check it out at the Manchester International Festival â€“ on now!!

â€˜David Hockney RA: A Bigger Pictureâ€™ is an exciting new exhibition set to be showcased at The Royal Academy between the 21st January and the 9th April 2012. The large scale walls are to project to us, the audience, Hockneyâ€™s fascination with landscape that has spanned over 50 years.

(David Hockney, ‘Woldgate Woods, 21, 23 & 29 November 2006’, 2006.
Oil on 6 canvases – One of the Hockney’s many landscape pieces
to feature in his Royal Academy exhibition: A Bigger Picture)

Remarkably, many of the huge works to be seen in A Bigger Picture â€œwouldnâ€™t have existed unless the Royal Academy had asked meâ€, Hockney tells us. He explains that it simply wouldnâ€™t have been feasible for him to work on such large projects by himself without being equipped with gigantic walls to do the pieces justice.

Throughout his press releases, the emphasis on creating works by his own fair hands and only his hands was raised due to certain note placed in front of some of his creations. The note reads: “All the works here were made by the artist himself, personally.” Upon being quizzed about the note, David Hockney was asked if it was in reference to artist of the hour, Damien Hirst, to which he responded with a simple nod. Hockney made it very clear that he strongly disapproves of artists who employ others to work on their own creations, as â€œItâ€™s a little insulting to craftsmen, skilful craftsmen.â€

(Left: David Hockney RA. Right: Damien Hirst. The two English superstar artists have both recently aired their opposing views on the use of assistants to create works of art)

Damien Hirstâ€™s ‘For The Love Of God’; a human skull entirely encrusted with diamonds proved the case in point for Hockney, as the superstar artist had London jeweller Bentley & Skinner work on his creation. Hirst has on numerous occasions poorly defended his use of assistants by remarking that they could do a better job on something that he finds tedious to do himself. Or to use Hirstâ€™s more eloquent choice of words, “I couldn’t be fucking arsed doing it”.

(Damien Hirst, ‘For The Love Of God’, 2007)

The platinum casted human skull sculpture is encrusted with 8,601 diamonds. It was part of the Beyond Belief exhibition held at the White Cube Gallery, and eventually sold for an astonishing Â£50million. This is the largest sum ever paid for a single work by a living artist, and is therefore the very reason Hirst’s use of assistants has caused such controversy.

The words spoken by Hirst contrast starkly to the beliefs of David Hockney, who in a recent interview used the Chinese proverb to convey his passionate views on both art and the artist: â€œyou need the eye, the hand and the heart. Two wonâ€™t do.â€

(David Hockney, ‘Bigger Trees Near Water’, 2007. Hockney’s biggest ever
creation is made up of 50 canvases, and measures up to a whopping
total of 15ft by 40ft; of which every inch was created by his
own fair hands)

There is no doubt that the combination of 74 year old Hockneyâ€™s eye for detail, creative hand, and artistically passionate heart will make for a wonderfully personal exhibition that portrays the artistâ€™s love and admiration for his native Yorkshire landscape. A true leader of creators!

It is with regret that we inform you of the passing of legendary photojournalist, Eve Arnold on 4th January 2012

(Eve Arnold at work. She was one of the first photographers of her era to break away from only shooting in the confined studios of Hollywood)

Born in Philadelphia in 1912, Eve Arnold never intended to become a pioneer of the photographic industry. In fact, the very idea of earning a living through the art of photography wasnâ€™t even considered until 38 year old Arnold was handed a $40 Rolleiflex by her boyfriendâ€¦and as they say, the rest is history.

Through her naturalistic style, Arnold always managed to capture the mood and emotion of her subject, and by doing so would tell their poignant story through her photos.

By the 1950â€™s, Eveâ€™s career path had changed dramatically. She was the only woman to have joined the prestigious Magnum Photography Agency wherein she got to travel the world capturing on film disabled Vietnam war veterans, Mongolian Herdsmen, migrant workers, and civil rights protesters of apartheid South Africa. Magnum, previously known for its predominantly masculine and harder approach to photography was now, for the first time, projecting a softer ethos. This was down to the feminine sensibility and the skilful art of storytelling apparent in every image captured by the legendary Eve Arnold.

By the mid 1950’s it was apparent that Eve Arnold was equally at ease photographing the Hollywood elite of her era, including the likes of Joan Crawford. However, it was her candid shots of the now late Marilyn Monroe that she became best known for. Marked by her sense of compassion and understanding, Arnold took on a photojournalistic approach to her work allowing her to capture images of Monroe in a naturalistic style never seen before. Arnoldâ€™s style was directly opposed to the generically staged studio photography sessions associated with Hollywood at the time.

In the ten years that Eve Arnold extensively photographed Marilyn Monroe, she became a close friend to the movie star up until her tragic death in 1962. It was this friendship and trust between the two that allowed Eve to intimately capture Monroeâ€™s spontaneous moods. Marilyn allowed Eve to portray her as more than just a blonde bombshell of the big screen. Instead, we were able to see her as human. A human who, just like the rest of us, had moments of vulnerability and insecurity. This charm and fragility can be seen in many of Eveâ€™s photographs of Miss Monroe, but perhaps is most poignantly portrayed in â€˜Memorising Linesâ€™; as Monroe is captured insecurely holding her hands to her face as she attempts to remember her lines on the set of her 1960 film â€˜The Misfitsâ€™.

(Eve Arnold. Memorising Lines, The Misfits. 1960)

Although we have lost Eve Arnold in person, her legacy will most certainly live on. Through her pioneering photojournalistic approach to her art, and her unique and privileged relationships with her subjects, Arnold cemented her place as one of the photographic industryâ€™s most revered figures of the 20th Century. And it is here she will forever remain.